I just couldn't let the day slip away without posting. It is 1/1/11. I just love the combination of numbers. I suppose it has something to do with my birthday. I was born 2/3/45. So Happy New Year to everyone.
I also want to show you what The Trout and I worked on for quite some time. Every year, after a vacation, we make a hard back album of our photos. We have always chosen Shutterfly as they do a great job and they do it quickly.
As I am getting more and more into family genealogy, I realize how much simpler it could have been if my family had written down a lot of the information I am now finding. So, I have been going through photos for over a year, finding subjects that would be representative of our families and deciding where to end it also. Once you crawl into a family tree, the branches just go on and on.
So, we had three books made for our family. Our daughters each got one and one for us. The book ended up being 26 pages. We start out on a text page of The Trout's family, where they lived in Norway, when they came to America...you get the picture. Then, in as much order as we possibly could, we proceeded through the pages. Then we started on my family photos and information and ended up with our marriage, the places we lived, the children, the pets. We did stop after the birth of our grandchildren. A couple of pictures of us with the grandkids and then a final text page.
I wrote how I hoped that someone in the family would someday take the reins and continue down the tree branches. I think our daughters were very surprised. We included dates of births, deaths and weddings.
This is a photo of the beginning of my family page. The castle where my ancestors last stayed before coming to America. They were not royals, but had taken refuge from religious persecution in this castle. I have visited it quite a few times, and feel history soaring through my veins as I walk the cobblestones, touch the walls, and eat in what has become a most wonderful restaurant in the castle. I certainly hope it is still there. The castle is found in Leiblos, near Frankfort, Germany, and it is called The Ronneburg.
So, the sun has risen on a new year, I am feeling somewhat better, and The Trout was out playing golf at 7:30 a.m. Still eating light today, but eating well. Mary, from "One Perfect Bite" shared her most wonderful clam chowder recipe this fall, and we are making it once again. Must be about 4 times now, Mary. Just love it.
I am also so thrilled to mention that two readers of my blog have climbed out from behind their screens and commented. Sandy and Linda P., welcome and please stop back often.
About 25 years ago I started doing our family tree, my husbands, my mothers and my fathers. It is just so huge now and I have made friends with many distant cousins that I had no idea exisited! I am back to the 1950's, before that is difficult as records are difficult to read and spellings vary. Also when I did all this work there was nothing much about geneology on the internet. I should have waited a few years, it would have made research so much easier!!
ReplyDeleteI hope that your family appreciate the work you have done, sadly I have no children to pass all mine on to. Diane
So glad to know you, Susan. Happy New year, friend. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to start the year. Wishing you and your family all the best for 2011.
ReplyDeleteRita
Family trees are fun! My husband and I have been working on his for the past few years. We have recently found out so exciting information. He has one cousin that always says "oh yes, . . . " every time he makes a discovery! So he finally started asking her questions before he ventures off on a journey!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Mary
i LOVE family history. my husbands father said that he was a descendant of blackbeard...a tale that our 12 year old son loves to tell everyone he meets! my father said his descendants hitched a ride on the mayflower...quite possible since his name was on the passenger list =o)
ReplyDeleteMy dad has been doing family research for many years and we've been the fortunate beneficiaries. What a great thing you're doing for your girls!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Susan and The Trout!
ReplyDeleteI was born 1/26/45 so we are indeed very very close in age! I think always that people have the outlook of the time and place of their birth. I think I do. My husband was the family historian for his family and I seem to be for mine. I am very interested in what you have done with photo books. I would like to do something similar for my children. It is a wonderful gift of love.
My paternal lineage is also from Germany (Wacaser) and has been traced back to 1720 and Johann Andreas Georg Weckesser. My paternal grandmother's lineage has been traced to 1540 with John Brewster, father of Elder William Brewster of the Mayflower fame ;) Sadly, nothing from my maternal side... my grandparents were born in the Azores, Portugal and nothing was ever written down. It's so interesting! Love those Shutterfly books, too!
ReplyDeleteI have so much family history in boxes in my closet. I need to sort through it and start cataloging what's what. Thanks for directing me to Shutterfly. Maybe that will help.
ReplyDeleteDear Susan,
ReplyDeleteI wish you a wonderful 2011 - stay healthy - good luck - freedom in the world -
best wishes - Ruth
I think it is a wonderful gift to your family to have all their history in a beautiful shutterfly book. That's a lot of work!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing more precious than to have a connection to the past. This is a thoughtful gift that your family (even the extended ones not yet here) will treasure forever. My husband is very much involved in family history. It is such a fascinating topic and can give so much pleasure. It's like finding a puzzle piece that completes the picture.
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